From
time to time, this page will feature an article from Jimi on various topics,
usually about the Network, but sometimes we may just let him ramble a bit! Take
the time to read this, enjoy, comment, etc. - Thomas, webmaster

As part of the leadership team that
keeps The SongNet running, I get A LOT of people asking about our direction,
'specially from some of our more "seasoned veterans" after our open mic events
which have a wide diversity of talent & genre. This one's mostly to them, but
eventually, we'll all be there.

Here's my POV: Yup, some of us can
get a little long winded, & some have a long way to go. But you gotta start
somewhere. As an experienced performer & writer, YOU are one of the most valuable
assets we have. You've already taken a few steps up the mountain. Our first
Wednesday meetings are about learning fro the seasoned pros on the ledge above
us. Our open mic nites are about pulling together as a team to help those below
us move up a little. Folks like us are in the middle. As
you mentioned, if we stop learning, we are dead. But if we stop teaching, we
are worthless. Experience & example are the best way to learn, & the open mic
provides both. Although sometimes it seems some of our members aren't growing,
you never know. A night may come when they get no applause at all & realize
something about their art may need a bit of adjustment to appeal to a wider
audience. Some have already come a long way because of artists like you. They've
seen you at other events, where you become the professor & the club is a classroom.
They've taken notes, done the homework, & now are booking gigs on their own,
recording CDs. Some even have management. Yet you're still the mentor, & we're
still a team. You can hit better, but they know how to pitch. You've heard we learn from our children.
If we look at them as time-wasting-blood-sucking-little-brats, we miss out on
the purity of emotion & fresh new perspective they bring to things we take for
granted. The view that nothing is impossible, 'cuz they can take our limiting
walls & turn 'em into bridges. You've probably met the managers, promoters
& journalists that have been coming lately. Guess who brings 'em? You guessed
it- The absolute beginners that "don't know any better" than to bring an industry
person to a simple open mic. And they point to YOU as the reason they are still
in the game, as the one they should really be checking out. You've also seen
the flyers. Many of our members are setting up
their own "mini tours" with artists they've met in our group that they respect
& want to work with. Creating shared fan bases like this makes for bigger audiences
for all, & brings about a greater awareness that GREAT music really does exist
beyond the radio. Music that sometimes doesn't fit the formula that some of
those "song gurus" have taught us. At a recent event, many of us shared
songs that were depressing, poetic, abstract, stuff that is all wrong by the
book. Yet we were touched, moved, even encouraged because they spoke from a
real place in a real heart. Art is subjective. You can love Picasso or wipe your butt
with it. But even if you dislike it, ya gotta wonder why some people love it
so much. If you can find it, & capture some of that flavor for yourself, you
can season your sauce a lil' differently & come up with something that speaks
to a whole different group of fans. So where is The SongNet going? FORWARD. Veterans like us need to teach now,
& set the standards for those coming up behind us. But as in any classroom,
there will be some that just don't get it or refuse to listen. They will eventually
fail, have an epiphany or become our entertainment attorneys. Yet we try. What goes around & karma & all that.
You drink from the pitcher & you gotta
go back & refill it or the next guy will either die of thirst (if he's an idiot)
or get really pissed off. Pissed off dead people will not come to your aid if
needed. The SongNet needs members from all
levels to work. Beginners need mentors. Mentors need fresh perspectives. We
all need each other's support & encouragement, sometimes even a lil' validation.
Please keep letting us know how you
feel & what you'd like us to do for you. We'll be sure to make that happen.
But because we're not charging for that help & knowledge, we'd appreciate you
sharing some of what you know with the rest of us too. That's how a family hands
down the wisdom of generations, & we try to be as much of a family as possible
in this harsh world of the music industry as we've seen it.